Ridgewood, Queens, is the next New York neighborhood bracing for a notable change in its commercial landscape with the announcement of a new Whole Foods store set to take over a historic Beaux-Arts bank building. According to Eater New York, the 28,000 square-foot space located at 55-60 Myrtle Avenue, previously housed a Rite Aid. While a spokesperson for Norse Realty confirmed the signing of a 15-year lease without further comments, the store's opening date remains under wraps.
This move has sparked a mix of reactions among locals. Some see it as the dawn of a new era, Whole Foods' debut in the borough standing as a beacon of premium grocery shopping before a Long Island City store scheduled to open in 2028. Yet, history paints a slightly different picture. It's ushering in an age marked by concerns of gentrification, which are not just echoes from shop windows but rather reflections of genuine apprehension shared across social platforms. Time Out New York reported the neighborhood's reaction as "swift, loud and deeply conflicted," citing comments from residents who see the store as a harbinger of the "Brooklynization of Queens."
Indeed, the neighborhood's independent grocers, just a stone's throw from the upcoming Whole Foods, fuel fears that bigger, pricier chains will oust the smaller, much-loved local businesses. This sentiment is underscored by a post from historian and walking tour guide Asad Dandia, capturing the local pulse: "Oh man. The Brooklynization of Queens has begun." Meanwhile, Whole Foods has refrained from commenting publicly on these concerns, as reported by Time Out New York.
Yet despite the pushback, Ridgewood's market trends can't be ignored. In January, it was named the No. 1 "NYC neighborhood to watch" by StreetEasy, sparking a wave of newcomers and a shift in community dynamics. As the conversation around community preservation heats up, with a handful of local businesses nestled comfortably along Myrtle Avenue, it's worth noting that the area's evolving identity seems, for many, like a puzzle where pieces of old and new aim to fit together. Financial details of the Whole Foods deal, as reported by Time Out New York, remain undisclosed, but market estimates by CoStar suggest retail rents in the building could range from $46 to $57 per square foot. Queens-based Norse Realty owns the property, and Ripco handled the brokerage.
